Former 'Mythbusters' Co-Host Grant Imahara Dies at 49

Grant Imahara (pictured first from left) co-hosted the hit Discovery Channel show 'MythBusters' | AFP
Grant Imahara (pictured first from left) co-hosted the hit Discovery Channel show 'MythBusters' | AFP
TT

Former 'Mythbusters' Co-Host Grant Imahara Dies at 49

Grant Imahara (pictured first from left) co-hosted the hit Discovery Channel show 'MythBusters' | AFP
Grant Imahara (pictured first from left) co-hosted the hit Discovery Channel show 'MythBusters' | AFP

Grant Imahara, who co-hosted the popular science TV show "MythBusters" and worked behind the scenes on three "Star Wars" films, has died at age 49, the Discovery Channel said Monday.

The New York Times quoted a Discovery spokeswoman as saying the cause of death was believed to be a brain aneurysm. No further details were available.

An electrical engineering graduate from the University of South California, Imahara joined MythBusters in 2005 and was a part of the show's team for 10 years.

"Grant was a truly brilliant engineer, artist and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON," Adam Savage, one of Imahara's MythBusters co-hosts, said on Twitter.

"Working with Grant was so much fun. I'll miss my friend."

"We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man," the Discovery Channel said in a statement.

He also worked on the special effects teams on a number of blockbuster Hollywood franchises, including Star Wars Episodes I-III, two sequels to "The Matrix", and "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

The Discovery Channel said Imahara was one of the few officially trained operators of the R2-D2 droid in Star Wars.

He also co-hosted the 2016 Netflix series "White Rabbit Project".

"Heartbroken and in shock tonight. We were just talking on the phone. This isn't real," Imahara's White Rabbit Project co-host Kari Byron tweeted.

Grant said in 2018 that he was working with Disney to create autonomous robot stunt doubles.



'Shrek' Director Tackles Taboo in Netflix Fairy Tale 'Spellbound'

(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
TT

'Shrek' Director Tackles Taboo in Netflix Fairy Tale 'Spellbound'

(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
(L-R) US actress Jenifer Lewis, US-Australian actress Nicole Kidman, US actor Tituss Burgess, US actress Rachel Zegler, Spanish actor Javier Bardem and US actor Nathan Lane arrive for the New York premiere of Netflix's animated film "Spellbound," on November 11, 2024. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)

Animated films tackling parent separation and divorce are few and far between.

While live-action kids' classics like "The Parent Trap" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" have used the concept as a launchpad for humorous antics, animation has tended to steer entirely clear of the issue.

"Isn't that funny... you can kill off a parent in a movie like 'Lion King,' or 'Bambi,'" said Vicky Jenson, best known for co-directing "Shrek."

"Disney moms are often dead -- the only time anyone remarries is because the other spouse is dead. This topic of separation, of parents not being able to live together... it's taboo."

But in Jenson's new film, "Spellbound," a princess's parents have been transformed by a dastardly spell into literal monsters.

It is an allegorical device that forces young Ellian to try to "fix" her mother and father, and their broken family.

"We encountered some resistance when we were looking for someone to help bring the movie to the world, a partner to distribute the movie," Jenson told AFP.

"They all reacted the same way, like: 'What a beautiful movie, what a great message.' And then they ghosted us!"

The movie went through a number of different studios, including Paramount and Apple TV+, before ultimately landing at Netflix, which will release the film Friday.

"I credit Netflix for stepping up bravely and partnering with us on this," said Jenson.

"In this environment, it does feel like stories that push the boundaries are more accessible on streaming.

"Theaters are kind of filled with superheroes right now... the big safe bets."

- 'Monsters' -

As the film starts, tenacious teen princess Ellian (voiced by Rachel Zegler) is desperately seeking a cure for the mysterious spell that has transformed her parents, Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) and King Solon (Javier Bardem).

To make matters worse, she must hide the whole mess from the oblivious citizens of Lumbria.

When the secret gets out, and panic spreads throughout the kingdom, Ellian is forced on a dangerous quest to undo the curse.

But even if she succeeds, she soon learns that her family may never go back to the way it once was.

To make Ellian's reaction to her -- literally -- monstrous parents believable and accurate, filmmakers employed the consulting services of a family psychologist and therapist who specialized in divorce.

"Kids feel like it's their responsibility to fix this. They don't understand that something happened to their parents -- they're acting like monsters," explained Jenson.

The director, and cast and crew, also drew on their own experiences, "because we all know our parents are monsters at one point -- and as parents, we're all monsters at one point," she joked.

- An inverse 'Shrek'? -

The end result is a thoroughly contemporary parable, set in a magical fairytale kingdom.

That has clear echoes of Jenson's smash-hit directing debut "Shrek," but with cause and effect reversed.

"'Shrek' was the modern take on fairy tales. This was a fairy tale take on a modern story," she said.

For Jenson and the filmmakers -- including legendary composer Alan Menken, of "The Little Mermaid,Beauty and the Beast" and countless more -- it was important to bring this "truth about family life" to the screen.

It "is there for so many of us, but hadn't been approached as a myth or as a new fairy tale before," said Jenson.

"Now, a new fairy tale is out there for that experience that so many kids, so many parents, so many families need help through."